Repeating yourself can be annoying. To remain calm and focused takes mental toughness, but the repetition itself builds your mental resilience. Do it again with the aim to improve. It's especially tough for actors who also have to pretend to be agitated but have the focus and endurance to repeat an emotional scene again and…
“I shall now consider of Wounds with loss of Substance made by Bill, Pole-axe, etc., some cutting twice or thrice in one or near one place, whereby the Wound is large, traverse, yea and oblique….” -- Surgeon R. Wiseman, circa 1676. [1] Swords are the preferred weapon in modern Western Martial Arts (WMA), as they have been…
Read More... from Book Review: “Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair” by Knight & Hunt
Mounted Combat Classes This week we're excited to launch a brand new Mounted Combat Class for participants of all levels. The five-week course will prepare students to take part in our annual tournament at Carosella 2015. There are two levels to the course: Beginner Participants at this level will practise from the ground and the…
E. W. Barton-Wright wanted “to impart to peacefully disposed [people] the science of defending themselves.” Bartitsu has been used by various groups including police and security forces, as well as Suffragettes who were defending themselves against the police. I've worked in security since 2009, and it is important to follow the Use of Force model…
Last night (Wednesday at the time of writing this) I conducted two Green Cord examinations. These are concluding exams at the end of our introductory course. The students were suitably nervous at the outset and did not seem very reassured by my comment that this first level examination is focused on language and familiarity with…
This Sunday from 1 - 4pm the arena at Red Colt will be alive once more with the thunder of hooves, the twang of bowstrings and the clash of swords for our August Playday. Mounted Games Anyone with Riding Level 1 or the equivalent can participate in these non-combative games of speed and skill, such…
Fight Directors Canada sets the standards for stage combat in this country, just like the Society of American Fight Directors does in the U.S.A. and the British Academy of Dramatic Combat does in the U.K. What are those standards, and what do the levels mean? I hope to answer all your questions on FDC Certification…
Learning physical skills is a tricky thing. It’s important as a student that you’re practicing in the most effective and efficient manner for getting results in your desired performance environment (e.g. a duel, a tournament, a melee, etc.). Two Types of Practice There are two primary practice schema that can be applied when acquiring new…
Read More... from Optimising Your Learning: Blocked and Varied Practice Environments
The ever-popular Horseback Archery returns to Red Colt this Sunday, July 26th. We have two workshops with Robert Borsos of Borsos Torzs Horse Archery this weekend. These workshops are loads of fun, and won't return until Carosella. Don't miss out -- sign up today! Beginner Horseback Archery Whether you are an expert rider or archer,…
This week, we'll take a look at at a video that compares Pentjak Silat with Krav Maga (in French). Their goal, as stated by Frank Ropers at the start of the session, is to show both schools that their styles mesh together very well. From a Bartitsu perspective, I love using this type of thing…
Every year the Vancouver institution that is the Georgia Straight runs an open poll to determine the "Best of Vancouver" in a variety of different categories, and for many businesses it is the measure of success and recognition in the city. Whereas restaurants and hotels have comprehensively recognised marks of excellence, in a lot of cases…
What is Fancypants doing lying in the field? And who are those mysterious characters in black? To find out you'll have to wait till the next episode of the Vancouver B Movie Factory airs on Shaw TV. There will be swords, arrows, horses, and Fiore himself in 'The Flower of Battle'. In the meantime ...…
Are you left-handed in a world of right-handed sword fighters? Or perhaps like Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark on Game of Thrones, you are right-handed but cast to play a left-handed character. Should your stage combat training include ambidexterity? Why Are You Smiling? I just read this interview with Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) about…